The Bureau of Indian Affairs will hold public hearings on the off-reservation casino sought by the Warm Springs Tribes of Oregon.
The tribes plan a $389 million resort in Cascade Locks. The 60-acre gaming site is about 69 miles from the northwestern border of the reservation.
Cascade Locks used to be part of the tribes' reservation. The land was ceded by an 1855 treaty.
"It's our tribal home. We never left," Louis Pitt, director of government affairs and planning, told The Madras Pioneer.
Earlier this month, the Bush administration issued new guidance for off-reservation casinos.
The policy makes it harder for tribes to acquire land away from existing reservations.
Get the Story:Bridge of the Gods casino gets go-ahead for hearings (The Madras Pioneer 1/22)